Aparecida

Origin

Caxambu, MG

Also known as

Maria Aparecida Martins

Years active

1952–1985

Genres

samba, samba raiz, african rhythms, mpb

Instruments

vocals

Biography

Maria Aparecida Martins, known professionally as Aparecida, was a Brazilian singer and composer born in Caxambu, Minas Gerais, on December 4, 1939. Her artistic career, which spanned from 1952 until her death in 1985, was primarily dedicated to samba and African rhythms. She moved to Rio de Janeiro with her family in 1949, settling in the Vila Isabel neighborhood, where she initially worked as a clothes ironer. It was in Vila Isabel that she began to absorb the rich musical traditions that would shape her career.

Aparecida's musical journey began in earnest when she started composing in 1952. Her talent was soon recognized by Salvador Batista, who brought her into his group as a dancer (passista) for ten years. This early exposure to the samba scene was crucial. In the early 1960s, she traveled to France, where she performed her own compositions in a nightclub. Upon her return to Brazil in 1965, she achieved significant recognition by winning the "Concurso de Música de Carnaval do IV Centenário da Cidade do Rio de Janeiro" and the "III Festival de Música de Favela" with her samba "Zumbi, Zumbi."

Her contributions to samba extended to composing samba-enredos, notably "A sonata das matas" for the samba school Caprichosos de Pilares in 1968, making her the second woman, after Dona Ivone Lara, to achieve this feat. Throughout her career, Aparecida released several albums, including "Aparecida" (1975), "Foram 17 Anos" (1976), and "Os Deuses Afros" (1978), often exploring themes of Afro-Brazilian spirituality and Candomblé. Her powerful voice and deep connection to African rhythms and samba raiz cemented her legacy as a significant, albeit sometimes overlooked, figure in Brazilian music.